From: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 10:59:52 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Another view of anarchy...
In-Reply-To: <3.0b28.32.19961006142521.00700398@ricochet.net>
Message-ID: <v03007802ae7e111d0345@[207.167.93.63]>
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At 2:26 PM -0700 10/6/96, Greg Broiles wrote:

(speaking about Jim Bell and his "assassination politics")

>If what you want is anarchy (and as I understand things, you're arguing
>that people should live by their own interpretation of what's right and
>wrong, and should kill people who disagree with them, which seems like a
>fair although unnecessarily dismal view of anarchy), there's no point in
>arguing about the Constitution.

Speaking as an advocate of what some years ago I dubbed "crypto anarchy," I
have a much more optimistic view of "anarchy." Anarchy is what I see around
me in nearly all areas of human intercourse. What I read, what I eat, what
I watch on t.v., who I talk to, where I go, how I live,...all are
essentially "anarchic," in the sense that no laws (or at least very few
laws) affect my choices. Doesn't mean I have infinite choice, doesn't mean
I have the choices I might want...just means  that no laws by my city,
county, state, or national government have much of anything to say about
these questions. This, to me, is not at all dismal.

As for "assassination politics," I think the theoretical idea of using
betting pools, untraceable payments, etc., are worthwhile _theoretical_
ideas to discuss, occasionally (indeed, I would hope--seriously!--that the
FBI is aware of such possibilities and is thinking about them).

For me, there is no one I can think of that I would want killed. Not my
taunters, not my elected officials (though I despise Senator Fineswine),
not court officials, not even the Devil Himself. Clinton, er, I mean
"Saddam Hussein." The Hitler example ("Wouldn't you go back in time and
kill Hitler if you could?") is so hackneyed as to be meaningless. Actually,
I suppose I would be happy if Pol Pot were to die, and maybe Idi Amin (and
I'm not sure both are still alive), but for the most part I don't think
fundamental problems are directly attributable to specific individuals.

So, this is one of several reasons I rarely discuss "assassination politics."

--Tim May


"The government announcement is disastrous," said Jim Bidzos,.."We warned IBM
that the National Security Agency would try to twist their technology."
[NYT, 1996-10-02]
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."